'Tinder Swindler' arrested in Georgia: How Israel's Shimon Yehuda built a $10 million romance scam | Explained

Shimon Yehuda Hayut, the Israeli national who became infamous worldwide as the “Tinder Swindler,” has been arrested in Georgia after years of controversy surrounding his alleged scams. The 34-year-old was detained on Sunday at Batumi International Airport while trying to enter the country.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest on Monday. Ministry spokesperson Tato Kuchava told AFP, “He was arrested at Batumi’s airport at Interpol’s request.” Officials have not revealed which country requested the detention.

This latest development comes years after Hayut was exposed for orchestrating a global romance scam that defrauded women of millions, a case that became the subject of Netflix’s hit 2022 documentary The Tinder Swindler.

Early life and initial crimes

Hayut was born on September 27, 1990, in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. His father, Yohanan Hayut, served as the chief rabbi for El Al Airlines. By his mid-teens, Hayut had already begun engaging in fraudulent activity. At 15, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, reportedly living with family friends.

According to interviews conducted by journalist Felicity Morris, who later directed the Netflix documentary, Hayut allegedly started with small-scale scams, including check fraud.

In 2011, Israeli authorities charged him with theft, forgery, and fraud. The accusations included stealing chequebooks from families he worked for, one as a babysitter and another while employed as a handyman. Rather than face trial, Hayut fled the country, reportedly using a fake passport to cross into Jordan and then travelling into Europe.

Reinvention as ‘Simon Leviev’

Hayut’s ability to assume new identities became central to his schemes. While evading Israeli authorities, he began using the name Simon Leviev, deliberately adopting the surname of Russian-Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, known as the “King of Diamonds.”

By presenting himself as the son of a wealthy diamond magnate, Hayut gained credibility and status, laying the foundation for his future scams.

In 2015, Finnish authorities arrested him and found two fake Israeli passports, three counterfeit Israeli driver’s licenses, two forged Israeli flight permits, and five fraudulent American Express credit cards. He claimed at the time to be an Israeli citizen born in 1978. Finnish courts sentenced him to three years in prison for fraud-related offenses. After serving part of his sentence, he returned to Israel but soon fled again in 2017 under the Simon Leviev identity.

The infamous Tinder scam

Between 2017 and 2019, Hayut allegedly carried out one of the most elaborate romance fraud schemes ever documented, targeting women across multiple European countries.

Using Tinder, Hayut posed as a wealthy businessman with powerful connections. He dazzled targets with extravagant gestures, such as private jet trips, luxury dinners, and apparent bodyguards.

One of his most prominent victims, Norwegian graduate student Cecilie Fjellhøy, recalled that on their first date Hayut flew her to Bulgaria on a private plane from London. Believing he was the son of a diamond tycoon, she gave him more than $270,000, thinking she was supporting her partner during a crisis.

Hayut would claim he was being targeted by “enemies” and that his financial accounts were frozen for security reasons. He then persuaded victims to open new credit cards in their names, which he used to fund his travels and luxury lifestyle. According to Netflix, Hayut defrauded victims in Norway, Sweden, and Finland of approximately $10 million. Some estimates put the figure even higher.

Manipulation and intimidation

Hayut’s approach was also psychological. Victims reported receiving emotional and erratic WhatsApp voice messages that alternated between pleading and threatening tones. These tactics delayed repayment and kept victims emotionally invested.

One victim, Ayleen Koeleman, eventually helped expose him. After reading the exposé about Hayut by Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), she realised she had been deceived. Pretending to remain loyal, she convinced him to let her sell his designer clothes to help him financially, then kept the proceeds herself and provided authorities with his travel details, leading to his capture.

Arrest and conviction in 2019

In 2019, VG published an investigative article titled The Tinder Swindler in collaboration with Israeli journalist Uri Blau. The report laid out Hayut’s fraud operations and detailed victim testimonies. It quickly spread internationally and attracted law enforcement attention.

Greek authorities soon arrested Hayut for using a forged passport. He was extradited to Israel, where he faced trial on charges unrelated to the Tinder scam but connected to earlier fraudulent activities.

Later in 2019, he was convicted on four counts, including fraud, theft, and forgery. Israeli courts sentenced him to 15 months in prison and ordered him to pay £35,000 in restitution to his victims, along with a £4,600 fine for possessing a counterfeit passport. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hayut served only five months before being released early in 2020.

Global infamy through Netflix

Netflix released The Tinder Swindler in February 2022, directed by Felicity Morris. The film recounted the experiences of three victims, including Fjellhøy and Koeleman, and detailed the mechanics of his fraud. It became the most-watched documentary on Netflix at the time and sparked global conversations about online dating scams.

Following the release, Netflix confirmed that Hayut had been permanently banned from the Tinder platform. Despite the backlash, Hayut appeared to continue living a luxurious lifestyle, often photographed with expensive cars, designer clothes, and a new girlfriend.

In a CNN interview on February 21, 2022, he denied all accusations, saying, “I’m not a fraud and not a fake,” and described himself as a “legitimate businessman” who had made his fortune through bitcoin investments and other ventures.

Ongoing legal troubles

The documentary’s exposure prompted several legal actions. In February 2022, members of the Leviev family filed a criminal complaint against Hayut in Tel Aviv, accusing him of defamation, privacy violations, and misuse of their family name. In March 2024, a new complaint was filed by Ephraim and Ruthy Leviev Yelizarov, Ruthy being the daughter of Lev Leviev. They alleged that Hayut’s impersonation had harmed their family’s reputation.

During the proceedings, Hayut chose to represent himself and personally cross-examined witnesses. Separately, in November 2024, another victim, Iren Tranov, filed a legal claim seeking 414,000 shekels (£91,000), alleging she had lent him 144,000 shekels (£31,000) which he failed to repay.

Hayut’s movements since his release had been difficult to track. His lawyer told Israeli media after the arrest in Georgia, “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been travelling freely around the world.”